Age- and Sex-Related Risk Factors for Adolescent Suicide

doi:10.1097/00004583-199912000-00010

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Volume 38, Issue 12, December 1999, Pages 1497-1505

https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-199912000-00010 Get rights and content

ABSTRACT

Objective

To examine the impact of age and sex on adolescent suicide risk.

Method

A standard psychological autopsy protocol was used to compare 140 suicide victims with 131 community controls. The risk factors for older (≥16 years) and younger, and for male and female suicide were compared.

Results

Mood disorders, parental psychopathology, lifetime history of abuse, availability of a gun, and past suicide attempt conveyed significant risk for suicide across all 4 demographic groups. Psychopathology, particularly substance abuse (alone and comorbid with mood disorder), was more common and conveyed a much higher risk for suicide in the older versus younger adolescents. Younger suicide victims showed lower suicidal intent. Males chose more irreversible methods, and conduct disorder was both more prevalent and a more significant risk factor in males.

Conclusions

The increased rate of suicide in older versus younger adolescents is due in part to greater prevalence of psychopathology, namely substance abuse, and greater suicidal intent in the older population. The increased rate in males is less easily explained, but it may stem from method choice and the greater prevalence of and risk conveyed by conduct disorder in males.

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: This work was supported by William T. Grant Foundation grant 1063–85 and NIMH grants MH43366, MH46500, and MH55123. The expert assistance of Patricia Nuss and Beverly Sughrue in preparation of the manuscript is appreciated. In addition, the authors gratefully acknowledge Boris Birmaher, M.D., for his editorial comments and Satish Iyengar, Ph.D., for his statistical expertise.

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ARTICLESAge- and Sex-Related Risk Factors for Adolescent Suicide

ABSTRACT

Objective

Method

Results

Conclusions

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Psychiatry

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

The Family History Method using diagnostic criteria: reliability and validity

Arch Gen Psychiatry

Development of suicidal intent scales

Suicidal behavior runs in families: a controlled family study of adolescent suicide victims

Arch Gen Psychiatry

A clinical psychotherapy trial for adolescent depression comparing cognitive, family, and supportive treatments

Arch Gen Psychiatry

ARTICLES
Age- and Sex-Related Risk Factors for Adolescent Suicide